A Desperate Charge
by Ravendor Gryffinclaw
Summary: Arya makes a desperate attempt to get to an injured Eragon before it is to late. T for violence. One shot. Please review.


Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction. Please review. Don't gripe about people being OOC though. The only way I could write them in character would be if I was Christopher Paolini.

**Disclaimer: AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO I DO NOT OWN THE INHERITANCE CYCLE NOR WILL I EVER! IF I DID I WOULD ALREADY KNOW THE OUTCOME OF THE FOURTH BOOK AND I WOULDN'T BE WRITING SPECULATIVE FANFICTION I'D BE WORKING ON BOOK FOUR! AND I DID NOT INTEND TO OFFEND CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI IF HE FEELS I HAVE MISREPRESENTED OR MISTREATED HIS CHARACTERS. I JUST WROTE THIS FOR FUN!

* * *

**

**A Desperate Charge**

_No... No… __**No!**_

Arya watched helplessly as Eragon tumbled to the ground. A cold cruel laugh emanated deep from within Gallbatorix, evolving to hysterics as the battle raged around him and Saphira roared to the heavens. Arya could hardly stand as shock and fear rippled through her body. Not Eragon.

As she slashed through the ranks of the Empire in a wild attempt to get to the man she loved, her mind raced through her memories of him.

_She was unconscious feeling an unknown presence touch her mind as she fought Durza's wicked poison, the Skilna Bragh._

A quick parry, a lethal slash, the soldier's head fell on the castle floor.

_She was sparring with Eragon in Farthen Dûr, then crashing through the Isidair Mithrim on Saphira as she watched Eragon run Durza through his heart._

Dodge, block, and hack. Arya moved faster than she had ever before, rage and desperation fueling her frantic charge through the men cowering as they watched their companions fall before this mad elf.

_She was chasing Urgals through the winding tunnels beneath Farthen Dûr in a vain attempt to rescue Murtagh. She would not have done it if Eragon had not asked her to. "Wiol ono." she had said, "For you." It had not meant as much as it would now._

Suddenly Saphira lashed out quickly at Shruikan, catching the older dragon in the neck, causing blood to slick a large portion of the floor. Arya simply stepped on the bodies of the soldiers she cut down.

_She was casting Eragon's farith to the ground and storming away. It was not because she did not love him, far from it. From all their travels and experiences together, from Gilead to Farthen Dûr, then Farthen Dûr to Ellesmera, she had come to accept Fäolin's death and move on. She had come to love Eragon, but she was scared of her love. She had cast the farith down, because she knew that the world would conspire to keep them apart._

Arya continued her mad dash towards the bleeding form of Eragon as Saphira leaped onto Shruikan's back and proceeded to rip large sections from his wings. It showed how inhuman Gallbatorix had become as he merely continued to laugh over Eragon's motionless body.

_She was listening to Eragon's proclamation of love following the Blood Oath Celebration. She had masked her desire with anger. Oh, how she regretted it. She had wanted so much to just lean against him and tell him that she returned his love, but she could not. There was no way of knowing what her mother might do or say._

Arya received a slash across her side, opening a large gash on her side, but she continued, her emotions causing her to subconsciously heal the wound. Shattering the minds of the soldiers around her, Arya left them screaming in agony, both real and imagined, and faced the last few lines of soldiers. Saphira's roar of triumph as she opened massive wounds on the black dragon, allowing blood out as fast as a mountain stream and blinding the unfortunate soldiers close enough to be caught in the scarlet river, served to spur Arya on to even greater speeds through the lines of the enemy as another memory of Eragon filled her mind.

_She was sitting with Eragon as they made their way back to the Varden following the rescue of Roran's love Katrina. She had desired for the journey to never end, for them to just travel together, alone, just basking in each other's presence. Arya had opened up to Eragon as she had to no one else since Fäolin had been killed by Durza, and it had felt _right! _Yet she still hid behind a mask of lesser emotions. Letting Eragon only see pain over Fäolin, not the love for him that had grown to replace it._

As Shruikan gave a last roar, collapsing from the blood he had lost, Saphira turned her attention to Gallbatorix just as Arya cut through the last line of soldiers.

_She was in Eragon's arms crying over Glaedr and Oromis, but unreasonably happy just to have an excuse to touch the man she loved, and knowing that perhaps she had pushed him away to hard, and that he may not love her any more. The thought had kept her silent once more._

Gallbatorix had now realized that he was currently in a state of genuine peril. He moved quickly, casting intricate wards and taking a fighting stance as he cast various spells to stop his assailants.

_**Magic holds little power over those desperate to save their loved ones!**_ bellowed Saphira mentally, _**This is something you shall never understand!**_

As Gallbatorix cringed at the force of the mental shout, Arya crashed into him, her blade an intricate web, her voice a painful melody of the ancient language as she brought Gallbatorix's wards crashing down around him. Gallbatorix was still moving fast enough to hold off Arya, but suddenly he realized he had not backed himself against one of the castle's pillars after all.

He looked up at Saphira, and for the first time in over a hundred years, Gallbatorix screamed in fear.

_**Oath breaker! Traitor! Murderer! Egg breaker!**_

Suddenly Saphira lunged forward. Her head snaked around as she crushed Gallbatorix between her massive jaws and let loose a torrent of flame. She then threw the body away from her. The battle had been won, and the fighting had stopped as there was no tyrant left to drive his slaves.

Arya rushed to Eragon and knelt by his side. He was alive, and still barely conscious, but it was obvious he would succumb to his injury before long if he did not receive help immediately.

"Well fought you two," he said with difficulty, "Though I see no reason Saphira, that you had to kill him twice."

Eragon coughed and blood came up. The look of pain that crossed his face tugged at Arya's heart as if she was being pulled apart by a dragon.

_**I wish I could kill him a thousand times, just for what he has done to you. **__came Saphira's response_

Eragon chuckled weakly.

"That is very kind of you," he said slowly, his breath now very shallow and weak, "But you must kill him for what he did to Arya in Gilead as well."

"Oh Eragon," said Arya tears flowing freely down her face, "You can still be saved." she said this desperately, and this, couple with her tears, surprised Eragon. He had never seen the elf this emotional, even when Oromis and Glaedr had died.

Arya laid her right palm on Eragon's wound, then she started the incantation, "Waíse…"

Eragon grabbed her wrist tightly, holding it away from him with his right hand. He looked at her hand, it was covered in blood, _his _blood, but this was not what disturbed him, Arya's hand was trembling.

"No." he said hoarsely.

"But Eragon…" cried Arya desperately.

"I said no."

He looked deep into her teary emerald green eyes, still so beautiful to him, even as he sat at death's door

"You will not die for me," he said his breathing becoming more labored with every passing second, the fingers of his left hand running through Arya's long raven hair, his mind flickering in and out of consciousness, "You would not have enough energy, we would both perish. There is only one thing I want you to do for me Arya Svit-Kona."

Arya nodded, sobs wracking her slender frame as she gripped Eragon's hand as if her contact with him would some how keep him here with her.

"Promise me you will never forget…"

Eragon was gasping for breath now, trying to form just four more words. He felt a light burst of energy to his body. He shook his head and Arya stopped the flow of energy to him.

"…I always loved you." he finished then slipped out of consciousness.

Arya knelt by him weeping.

"I love you to Eragon Bromsson."

_**If you would pay attention Arya Dröttningu, you would notice that our young rider still has a pulse.**_

Arya started. That was not Saphira's voice. But then she did hear Saphira.

_**Master Glaedr?**_

_**Of course.**__ replied Glaedr__** Now Arya listen to me carefully. My Eldunari is in Eragon's pack, take it and place it on his wound. Then place your hands over it and use a healing spell. And don't question me, Eragon does not have the time for it.**_

Arya did as she was told. She laid the golden gem shaped piece of Glaedr on Eragon's injury and said, "Waíse heill!"

A pulsating glow started to emanate from the Eldunari, burning Arya's hand. Streaks of golden energy flowed down into Eragon. Slowly but surely Eragon's wound was closing, tissues fusing and growing again, muscles knitting back together, and skin covering the grievous hurt until only the smallest of scars could be seen. As energy continued to flow into Eragon the pulsations grew brighter and closer together until it was a constant glow.

Suddenly with a thunderous crack the Eldunari split into a dozen pieces. Arya and Saphira heard a last cry from Glaedr before he departed from the mortal plane.

_**I am coming Oromis!**_

Arya looked at Eragon with baited breath. He did not stir for a few minutes, though they felt like days to Arya. Just as she was about to give up hope his eyes flickered open. He stared at her unabashedly and sat up.

"I can't help feeling that you have something to tell me." he said quietly.

Arya cried out in joy and flung herself around him knocking him down again.

They lay there for a while, Eragon looking confusedly up at her as she looked down at him smiling.

"Well if you don't…"

"I do."

"Well could you please tell me?"

Saphira chuckled quietly to herself.

Arya stared at Eragon for a long while then whispered as if raising her voice would take the truth from her words, "I love you Eragon."

Eragon's eyes widened then he smiled. He raised his head and kissed her, and she kissed him back. As they separated Saphira interrupted.

_**Well Eragon?**_

"Well what Saphira?" too happy and tired to communicate with his mind.

_**You know very well what! You've been carrying it around in your pocket long enough just hoping to be able to use it!**_

Arya was still smiling at Eragon.

"What is she talking about?" she asked.

Eragon reached into his pocket and took something out. He then clasped Arya's left hand in his own and slipped something on it.

As Eragon took his hands away Arya let out a small gasp as she saw a gold ring on her hand. On it was a diamond flanked by two smaller emeralds. She looked at Eragon with a mixture of love for him and fear for what this might cause others to do or say.

"A diamond for the pureness of your heart," he said, "And emeralds for your beautiful eyes... Will you marry me Arya?"

Arya gazed at him. If she said yes it would be the first marriage of a human and an elf. She had made peace with Fäolin's memory so that was not an issue. But there were other issues. She would have to disregard the age gap between them, she would have to forget what her mother would say, and she would have to tell any diplomatic consequences to go to hell... so she did.

"Yes Eragon," she said kissing him again, "I will marry you."

* * *

A/N: If you didn't already know this, **I PUT A SEQUEL UP**! Please read it!


End file.
